


you're like honed steel

by annejumps



Series: nerves of steel [3]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, BDSM, Canon Disabled Character, Charles in a Wheelchair, Cock Piercing, Dom Charles, Dom Charles and sub Erik, Dom/sub, M/M, Nipple Play, Sub Erik
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 17:39:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4885756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annejumps/pseuds/annejumps
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even a baseline human would be distracted by this piercing, but Erik was constantly aware as well of the very steel itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're like honed steel

**Author's Note:**

> This is the final installment in a series including [you are the sound of my beating heart](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4853072) and [prove your mettle](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4865393). I've enjoyed writing these fics with a kind of minimalist approach; that is, there's little physical description and little backstory. I just wanted to focus on the idea of Charles and Erik exploring their dominant and submissive sides with metal implements as a conduit.

“I want to get a piercing,” Erik said.

Charles looked at him from over the top of his morning newspaper and raised an eyebrow. He stared at Erik for a few moments, but Erik couldn’t feel him in his mind. Nevertheless, Charles seemed to have accurately guessed what sort of piercing Erik was meaning, not that that was especially difficult. “You don’t have to do that for me, you know,” he finally said.

“I wouldn’t do it just for you,” Erik told him. 

“True enough,” Charles acknowledged. “That was perhaps a bit arrogant and presumptuous of me. Let me restate: I don’t want you to feel pressured in any way.”

“You more or less dared me to take that sound and to wear that thing to Emma’s party,” Erik pointed out.

“Mm, well.” Charles coughed. “I was certain you’d enjoy all that.”

“I did,” Erik said. “I enjoyed it so much I want to have a permanent metal piercing.” 

Charles went a little pink in his cheeks and ears. Erik found it funny that he could still fluster Charles. 

“It’ll be painful,” Charles said, “and it’ll take a long time to heal.”

“Obviously.”

“All right, well.” Charles cleared his throat. “Do you need any… input from me?”

“I have to do some research as to my options,” Erik replied, “but I do want you there when it happens, regardless.”

“I will certainly do that,” Charles said, and took a long drink of tea. He resumed reading, and Erik thought that was that, but several minutes later he added, “Would you really want to be able to feel it all the time?” He sounded slightly unsure, and Erik furrowed his brow.

“What are you getting at, Charles?”

“Well.” Charles took another sip of tea. “I’d rather thought the… ephemeral nature of the exercise was part of the appeal. Won’t you become desensitized if it’s on you all the time?”

“I can feel all metal at all times,” Erik pointed out. “Besides, I think this would just be a small one. Nothing drastic.”

“Nothing drastic about putting metal jewelry through your cock,” Charles said, with a wry little grin. He looked wistful.

“What?” Erik persisted.

“Well. It’s just…. It’s silly of me,” Charles said, with a brief wave of his hand.

“No, what? Tell me.”

“Well, I’m starting to realize I may have grown attached to the thought of being sort of… in control of the metal on your cock.”

“Charles--”

“And also I’m not sure how I’d feel about it if it were to alter the appearance of your cock.”

“Hmm.” Erik rested his chin in his and and regarded Charles. “I wouldn’t choose anything unbecoming. Most likely something minor, a decorative touch. Think of it as… an enhancement. To ‘your’ property.” He raised a brow, teasing, and Charles laughed. “If I do become desensitized,” he added, “maybe you can still send me reminders. Besides, if it really doesn’t work out I can just remove it.”

“True.” Charles nodded.

Erik proceeded to do his research, but he soon found he was strongly inclined toward something in particular, regardless of the other options he came across. All that he needed, really, was a simple, elegant, small barbell or ring just under the head of his cock. No need to pierce through the urethra or do anything drastic; this piercing just went through the skin rather than the shaft. Few would agree Erik’s taste ran toward the subtle, simple, or non-dramatic, but unlike a baseline human, Erik didn’t need a great deal of metal for stimulation. If he wanted a greater challenge and a greater alteration, he could always add another piercing or increase the size of the first one. 

The thing to do was try. With the idea in his mind, he wasn’t inclined to forget about it without trying.

He selected a day to do it and then informed Charles, who looked surprised; it had been about a week since Erik had brought it up and they hadn’t really discussed it since. The piercer, whom Erik had thoroughly researched, was booked for the next few days, which Erik took as a good sign. He had almost gone ahead and made the appointment, but he did want Charles there, which meant he had to check with him first, to make sure his schedule was clear.

“It should be interesting for you,” Charles said. “As it’s going in, wouldn’t you be able to feel it and possibly direct it? Does the piercer know you’re a mutant? If not, you should tell them. Are they mutant-friendly?” Charles tended to babble when he was anxious.

“Yes, I looked for one specifically. I’ve told him that I’m metallokinetic. Should be interesting for him as well.”

“Splendid,” Charles said. “I can’t say I’m thrilled about another man handling your cock,” he added, gently teasing.

Erik snorted. “Would it be better if it were a woman?”

“No,” Charles said, and grinned. “Really, it’s fine. I just want to make sure it’s someone who knows what they’re doing.”

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Erik said. “Besides, you’ll be there to oversee everything.” Charles seemed mollified. He had said he didn’t want to be in Erik’s head during the piercing because the idea of Erik’s pain was distressing -- at least in these circumstances -- but it was important to him to be present.

Even after all of Erik’s research, there was something surprising about the piercer after all.

“Is that-- Is that your skeleton I’m sensing?” Erik blurted, coming to a stop in the front room of the parlor as the piercer approached them. “That can’t be--”

“Yup.” The piercer, Logan, held one hand in front of himself, in a fist, pointing upward like a gauntlet. He then somehow shot a few long, sharp blades from between his knuckles as Erik and Charles stared. “You don’t fuck around with my skeleton, I don’t fuck around with your dick. Got it?”

Erik raised a brow. “Message received.”

Charles looked a little pale. 

That settled, Logan brought them back to the room and started to go over all the information Erik needed to know beforehand. Charles gathered the pamphlets and looked them over, making notes where applicable. Logan was frank, if gruff, and Erik appreciated his candor. 

“Do you have any piercings?” Erik asked him at one point. He couldn’t see any, which seemed odd for a piercer.

Logan chuckled shortly. “I have accelerated healing. Good for practicing piercings, bad for keepin’ ‘em. Okay, if you’re ready, let’s get started.”

Erik, now on his back on a cushioned bench, pulled down his jeans and underwear and looked over at Charles, who seemed a bit calmer now that things were underway. Logan discussed with Erik where exactly he wanted it to go, and then Logan cleaned the area.

“You know,” Logan said, gloved hands handling him with businesslike efficiency over a sheet of surgical paper with a hole in it, “you’re going to have to trust me.”

Erik frowned. “I was planning on it. What do you mean?” He could tell Charles was paying close attention, while trying not to intrude into Logan’s mind. He did like that if something went wrong, Charles could step in and stop Logan; they hadn’t told Logan Charles was a mutant, let alone a telepath.

“Well, if you move the metal around while I’m putting it in,” Logan said, “I can’t guarantee I can place it correctly. I mean, technically you could do this yourself, with the right supplies. You wouldn’t have my expertise, but if you’re here having me do it, I should actually be the one who does it.” He looked squarely at Erik. “You okay with that? Being completely hands-off? If you’re not, all we’ve done is clean your dick, so you’re still coming out ahead.”

Erik looked at Charles, then back at Logan. “I don’t think I’d necessarily want to do this myself.”

“I’m quite sure I couldn’t do it either,” Charles added hastily.

“Go ahead,” Erik said. 

Logan examined him some more and carefully marked where he wanted the entry and exit points. Erik felt it in more ways than one when Logan took a pair of forceps and grasped the looser skin he wanted to pierce. Feeling a little lightheaded now, Erik looked over at Charles again.

“I need to hold your hand,” Charles said abruptly. Logan and Erik paused and looked at him. “Not for him,” Charles clarified, with a weak chuckle. “For me.”

Erik gave him his hand. 

Logan took a shortish, curved bit of pointed steel in his free hand. “Okay. Deep breaths. Get some deep breathing going.” 

Erik breathed deep and slow. On his third exhalation, he felt the point going through, and let himself gently fall back on the bench as Charles squeezed his hand. The point was certainly painful, but that was gone soon enough. He watched as Logan replaced the needle with a barbell, and was interested and glad to find that he’d felt no urge to control the metal’s course.

“So that’s it,” Erik said, as Charles exhaled, a bit shaky.

“Yup.”

“Simple enough.” If anything, he almost wished it had taken longer. “How does it look?” Erik asked Charles, who was still holding his hand.

“It looks… nice,” Charles said, sounding a bit surprised.

“Once it’s fully healed,” Logan said, “in a few months or more, you could replace that with a captive bead ring or a curved barbell. There’s also an option where there’s a ring that goes around the head of the dick.”

“How does it feel?” Charles asked Erik. 

“It doesn’t still hurt,” Erik reported, “but it feels… strange.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes,” Erik said. “That’s a… really sensitive area.” He took a deep breath. Even a baseline human would be distracted by this, but Erik was constantly aware as well of the very steel itself. “It’s more or less what I was hoping for, but actually feeling it is something else entirely.” Charles trailed his fingertips over Erik’s palm, giving him a questioning look; Erik nodded, and felt Charles slip into his mind to feel what he felt. Erik watched his ears turn pink, his left eyebrow raising.

Logan cleared his throat. “I’ve got your aftercare stuff all here,” he said, holding up a plastic bag. “My card’s in there, give me a call if you notice anything you think shouldn’t be happening. Not that you should; this is a piercing that heals pretty well, and that was a nice clean shot.”

Erik knew he would have to go several days without sex. He and Charles had discussed that, and it was fine; better to abstain for a while than to possibly cause himself some damage and pain. 

Erik had decided privately, though, that just because he needed to heal didn’t mean both of them had to go without any fun. He had an order to place. 

The idea of Charles using metal devices on Erik was a relatively recent one. Erik had never done it with someone else before, because the people he dated were usually too intimidated by his mutation, even if on the surface they accepted him as a mutant. Charles had mentioned he’d been wanting to bring it up earlier but wasn’t sure how Erik would react. All in all, when it came to the various possibilities, they were just getting started. 

And for that matter, they were sorely lacking when it came to metal things meant specifically for Charles. Now, though, Erik was hoping to remedy that.

He had the package delivered to a postal box, to keep it secret from Charles, and put its contents in Charles’ nightstand drawer when he wasn’t around. The next morning, neither of them had anything in particular to do, so Erik talked Charles into turning off the alarm before they went to sleep.

Never one to sleep in for long, however, Erik woke up as soon as it was well light out. Charles, not a morning person at all, was deeply asleep, mouth slightly open and drooling just a bit, arms akimbo. For someone with limited mobility he tended to stake a claim on a lot of the bed.

Erik pulled the covers back, with care, and slowly rucked up Charles’ thin white t-shirt, knowing its softness would rub against Charles’ sensitized skin in a way that would draw him toward consciousness. With his power, he pulled open the nightstand drawer and levitated the metal nipple clamps he’d purchased, which were like miniature vises. He hovered them around Charles’ exposed nipples and turned the screws on them until the metal was just lightly touching Charles’ skin. 

“Mmm,” Charles said, frowning in his sleep. He shifted, then blinked drowsily up at Erik, who was straddling him. Voice rough with sleep, he asked, “Erik, what--” and inhaled sharply as Erik tightened the vises. Blinking rapidly, he shuddered out a breath. “Fuck,” he said meaningfully, after a moment, and licked his lips.

“Just because I have to wait right now doesn’t mean you have to,” Erik said, curling his fingers toward himself to very subtly tug the secured clamps. Charles opened his mouth as if to speak but all that came out was a strange sound. A flush started to spread up Charles’ neck.

Erik let the clamps settle back again, and loosened them ever so slightly; then he tightened them, and tugged on them again, in several directions. He went through that cycle again, watching how attuned Charles was to it.

“Am I dreaming?” Charles asked, hoarse.

“No,” Erik said, and pulled the clamps off. 

Taken by surprise, Charles jerked, gasped, and started to pant, blinking up at Erik in amazement, wordless. His arousal seeped into Erik’s mind, and his fingers went to Erik’s hair to restlessly pull at it as Erik tongued his nipple, and pinched the other one. The clamps kept floating in the air above them. They’d been a good idea for starting out, but Erik wanted just his mouth and hands on Charles right now. 

It was when he was tugging with his teeth at Charles’ nipple that Charles suddenly gasped loudly and clutched at his shoulders, fingers digging in, thoughts urgently telling Erik to keep doing exactly what he was doing, which he did.

When Charles’ panting eased, Erik raised his head. Charles was flushed, wide-eyed, surprise emanating from him. 

“Did you…?” Erik asked.

Charles blinked, and nodded. “Yeah. I mean, yeah…. I’d say so. Not the same way I used to, of course, but… bloody hell, I’ll take it.” He laughed, still sounding breathless. 

Erik had come to learn that the male anatomy was more complicated than he’d realized when it came to nerves. 

Feeling very accomplished, he let the clamps drop to the bed as he regarded Charles, and how beautifully disheveled he was.

“Come here,” Charles ordered, reaching for him, pulling him down into a kiss. Charles was still trembling a little and his breathing hadn’t fully recovered. 

_Thank you_ , he sent to Erik. He was meaning more than just the clamps, or even the orgasm. For all his confidence and charm, Charles privately took it for granted that it was unlikely for anyone to truly accept him, whether because of his mutation or his paraplegia. He still seemed moved and amazed, deep down, that Erik had cleaved to him so inexorably. 

Erik kissed him fiercely, and pulled back. “You don’t have to thank me for loving you,” he said. As exasperated as he could become with Charles, his acceptance of who he was was never in question, and the love that stemmed from that only seemed natural. It was liked being thanked for breathing. 

Charles smiled his understanding. “Well, thank you for a lovely wake-up call, then. When you get all healed up,” he added, smile turning into a wicked grin, “I’ll be returning the favor.”

**Author's Note:**

> What Erik got is called a frenum piercing. I find it amusing for Erik not to really prioritize knowing the proper names of these things.  
> Thanks to [niniblack](http://archiveofourown.org/users/niniblack/pseuds/niniblack) for looking this over!


End file.
